Assistant Director, Development, Smart Museum

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Development reports to the Smart’s Director of Development and works closely with colleagues across Advancement, UChicago Arts, and the Museum. This position provides professional support of assigned development activities with instruction from others. Executes fundraising projects, cultivation programs for prospective donors and for visiting committees. This role supports annual giving, the SmartPartner membership program, institutional philanthropy (foundation, government, and corporate), and gifts of art. The Assistant Director leads stewardship and gift acknowledgment processes; maintains shared calendars, agendas, and process documentation; and coordinates donor visits, events, and stewardship reporting across the Smart staff. The Assistant Director manages and analyzes the Museum’s database activity and develops stewardship reports, proposals, research profiles, leadership briefings, acquisition and solicitation campaigns, and other promotional materials. This role also partners with the Director of Development to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospects virtually and in person, with a focus on building the donor pipeline and increasing philanthropic support over the next three to five years.

Responsibilities

• Identifies, cultivates, and sustains foundation and corporate support through prospect research, funder engagement, grant applications, post-award reporting, and stewardship communications in partnership with Museum and University Advancement colleagues.
• Maintains institutional giving priorities, opportunities, deadlines, budgets, and action plans to support revenue growth.
• Guides the Museum’s direct response program and implements multi-channel campaigns with University Advancement and Smart Communications to retain, renew, and grow individual annual giving.
• Cultivates and engages existing and prospective donors through visits and targeted communications to strengthen relationships, build the donor pipeline, and increase philanthropic support.
• Leads donor stewardship, including gift acknowledgments, donor recognition, strategic communications, and engagement events such as gallery tours, exhibition openings, and salon-style events.
• Manages offers of gifts of art, including preparing curatorial briefings, coordinating donor communications, securing appropriate tax documentation, and recording in-kind gifts with the University.
• Serves as the Museum’s expert on donor database systems and philanthropic giving data; maintains donor records and reporting; analyzes program performance; identifies prospects with Advancement Prospect Research; and coordinates data integrity, research, prospect management, and analytics.
• Maintains the Museum’s Development calendar, including appeals, board meetings, events, exhibitions, grants and reporting deadlines, stewardship activities, and donor visits; coordinates across teams to manage responsibilities, deadlines, and priorities.
• Coordinates Development financials and reporting with University Advancement, including contributed revenue reporting, expense tracking, and gift allocation and attribution.
• Partners with Guest Services, Curatorial, and Education to capture visitation, engagement, and programmatic data for funder reporting and case statement development.
• Supports Museum-wide priorities and Development special projects, including donor briefings and research, exhibition materials, Board meeting support, writing and proofreading, information gathering, and Smart DEAI initiatives.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including attending webinars and seminars and building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Has a moderate/high level of authority in drafting informational and marketing materials for review for assigned programs.
• Assists in developing support materials for specific fundraising activities.
• Cultivates and maintains relationships with donors and volunteers.
• Establishes and maintains donor records and accounts.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field. Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree. Experience: Minimum two years of professional experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales, or a related field; Background in a museum or arts organization. Supporting fundraising, donor relations, institutional giving, grant development, or stewardship activities. Working with donor or constituent data, including data analysis, reporting, and communicating findings to non-technical audiences. Understanding of data analysis and communicating complex topics to non-technical people. Coordinating projects and priorities across multiple teams or stakeholders.

Technical Skills or Knowledge

Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University and technology tools available to Advancement, including Phoenix, the University’s Donor Relationship Management Salesforce System. Proficient in Microsoft Windows, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zoom, Google Drive, Box, and Adobe. Fluency and comfort with technology are essential.

Preferred Competencies

• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.
• Explain complex ideas clearly and simply.
• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Self-motivated and take initiative.
• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.
• Excellent proofreading and time-management skills.
• Knowledge of Chicago’s cultural life and contemporary art.
• Enthusiasm for the mission and vision of the Smart and a desire to learn.